However, I did have a few decent days at work last week. I’ve been coming to work about an hour early (5:30 or 5:45 in the morning) and organizing my day on paper. It has made completing my tasks, caring for my patients, delegating to my techs, and shift report a lot easier. I still have a very long way to go. I need to work on knowing exactly what to assess and how to quickly assess my tached and vented patients. I had two of them on one shift last week. The good news is I’m not nearly as afraid as I was that I would break them as the first few days on the floor. Trach care, suctioning, and feeding or medicating patients with G-tubes or dobhofs on real people are becoming slightly less intimidating. Also, I still need a lot of work on starting IVs and phlebtomy skills. I have 10 successful sticks and 3 IV starts to go and I only have until the beginning of June to do it. I’m learning that it’s way more about feel than look.

Next week I start my ECG class in addition to 2 floor shifts and I have 3 chapters left to read today. So this morning, I woke up and had a smoothie and 2 cups of coffee. I’m tired of being tired and have lots of produce in my fridge so hopefully I can start feeding myself some energy. I bought artichokes for the first time. I have no idea how to cook them yet.

My poor husband is working at home without a car on the long days that I’m at the hospital. This Friday, when I got home from work he was ready to do something. I begged him to cook me tacos and then fell asleep on the couch at 10:30 pm. This Saturday we made a trip to Ikea for a new TV stand and then went to his mom’s house to watch the game. So, he got to get out and have fun finally!

The new TV stand looks really weird. It’s 36 inches tall. I decided that the problem is that our couch is really low so we need to get some risers. Also, our TV looks minuscule. I know Brandon has been dying to buy a bigger TV but that will have to wait a paycheck or two.

So, everything is coming along OK. I just need to work harder and push through my classes and work. We will get there one day. *crosses fingers and toes*